Statement

I believe in the spiritual in art and the artist as shaman. Artists have a duty to share and be active participants in their communities. Through my artistic practice I strive to open up discussion on what it means to be human now, our ever-evolving relationship to our environment(s) and re-creating awareness to our primordial spiritualistic selves.

Trust

Since the spring of 2008 I have been working on a performance piece titled Trust. Trust is a mobile nail salon housed inside an army parachute, complete with everything required for a professional manicure. During the opening viewers are ushered into the parachute tent out of curiosity to receive a free manicure in exchange for conversation. This intimate experience creates a space for viewer and artist to engage in a wide breath of conversation topics ranging anywhere from world politics to personal family ancestry. The Participant must be willing to commit 20 minutes or more to having their hands cleaned, massaged and sometimes polished and talk about anything that is to their own comfort. I use the parachute tent as a metaphor for resourcefulness amidst the omnipresence of war, natural disasters, temporary housing and our ability to be nomadic, alongside the idea of “home”, place and safety. A tent is also a space where we can go to fantasize; it’s a time machine to another dimension.

As the piece grows I learn more about others reactions to being touched, their apprehensions towards a free service and sharing 20 minutes with a complete stranger. And most importantly carrying on a continual open dialogue with manicurists, stylists and cosmetologists who perform a personal service on others and what it means to have to earn someone else’s trust to make a living. Each time the piece is performed I learn how I can approach the logistics of organizing the influx of visitors, how to adapt to different conversation styles, how to make people feel comfortable and how to display the piece after the performance is over.

I believe in the spiritual in art and the artist as shaman. Artists have a duty to share and be active participants in their communities. Through my artistic practice I strive to open up discussion on what it means to be human now, our ever-evolving relationship to our environment(s) and re-creating awareness to our primordial spiritualistic selves. -mh